In this second part of the Nikon D800 and lenses review, we’re looking at the standard focal lengths. Within this group, there is a very wide range available. When searching for a standard lens, you have the option of both prime and zoom, depending on what suits your needs best. To help make it easy to select the right lens, we’ll look at the 50mm primes, 85mm primes, macro lenses and finally the standard focal range zooms.

In total, the DxOMark labs have tested 28 lenses within this focal range, 22 of which are prime lenses from 50mm to 105mm, and 6 fall within the standard zoom category with focal lengths around the 24-70mm type focal range.

An interesting factor found through the labs is that the 50mm and 85mm focal lengths tend to outperform all other prime lenses tested, with the 85mm and 105mm lenses scoring particularly highly. In fact, the highest scoring lenses tested by the DxOMark labs have all been 85mm primes – certainly something to consider if you’re looking for the ‘best’ lenses on any camera.

If you’re looking for the best lenses ever tested by DxOMark labs, take a look at the 85mm primes – they top the tables.

In addition to this, the often repeated line that prime lenses are better than zoom lenses is once again borne out here, with prime lenses outperforming zoom lenses by between 20 and 30% - a quite significant difference that you may feel more than justifies the lack of versatility provided by prime lens models.

Primes vs Zooms ? Primes win by between 20 and 30% in DxOMark tests.

50mm

If you’re looking for a true standard lens, then 50mm is the focal length you should be choosing. Within the 50mm options, DxOMark have tested 7 different models. There are three models that come out on top, but the top five are all very close.

The three top scorers are from Nikon and Sigma - the Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D, Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G and Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM. All three managed 32 on the DxOMark scores putting them at the top of the list for 50mm lenses on the D800. Strangely the Sigma 50mm lens is the most expensive of the trio, but given that the price difference is not much more than $100 between the three, unless budget is a real concern, this and the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G are the two top choices. That said, the performance of the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G makes it a very worthy consideration if budget is a concern.

Within this range, the story is much the same as with the 50mm lenses, with two Nikon lenses taking top honors and surprisingly a Samyang model rounding out the top three. In this case, it’s the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G and the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF. The two Nikon lenses both scored the same on the DxOMark overall metrics, managing 40, while the Samyang model is fractionally behind on 36. In terms of choice, if you want the wider aperture of the f/1.4 it will cost you, with that lens coming in at nearly $2200, but it will provide the highest overall sharpness at 22P-Mpix. However the slightly slower, but optically just as good, 85mm f/1.8G looks to be a fantastic bargain at only $690 and offers less vignetting, chromatic aberration and distortion than its more expensive stable-mate, while losing out only slightly in overall sharpness. In terms of selecting one of these models, it is very hard to choose against the cheaper option because the more expensive model does not do enough to justify the higher price tag.

If the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G doesn’t fit your budget, then take a long look at the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF. It lacks any autofocus ability, but a score of 36 is remarkably good for such a low priced lens. If you can live with the manual limitations, it is worth serious consideration.

If a macro function is important to you, then the best macro lens around this focal range is the Carl Zeiss Makro-Plana T 100mm f/2 ZF2 Nikon, which scored 36. However, the cost is high at around $1840 and the lack of autofocus ability means it is one for the purist who is willing to put up with the fully manual nature of the lens. The Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED however is a slightly more budget conscious choice at $890. It scored almost as well at 32 and has the added benefit of full AF and a vibration reduction system to help avoid camera shake - something that is even more obvious in macro photography.

If you prefer working closer in to your subjects, then it is also worth considering the Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T 50mm f/2 ZF2 Nikon. This is a 50mm macro lens, that scored 31 in the overall DxOMark scores and managed the joint highest sharpness score for all the macro lenses tested, at 17P-Mpix. At $1280USD it follows the familiar Zeiss trend of being at the top of the price bracket, but the quality is unquestionable and if you are looking for a macro lens around this focal length, then the lack of autofocus should not necessarily put you off.

Within those tested, it is clear that the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED are the best choices for image quality. For zoom lenses to score 29 and 28 is pretty impressive, especially given the high resolution of the camera, where flaws caused by compromises in optical design are much more obvious. At $1,800, however, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 is pricey. The new Tamron, sporting a pricetag of $1,299, is definitely a viable choice, given the circumstances.

Within those tested, it is clear that the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED is the best choice for image quality. For a zoom lens to score 28 is pretty impressive, especially given the high resolution of the camera, where flaws caused by compromises in optical design are more obvious. At $1800 it is expensive though.

If you’re looking for the real “budget star” of the trio, then the Tamron is the best choice With a sharpness score of 13M-Pix, it beats the Nikon and is the cheapest ($499) of the three by a noticeable margin. For it to match the scores of several more expensive lenses is a fantastic achievement, and it should get the nod as the best bargain of the bunch.

Conclusion

Since they have such different uses, there can be no clear winner in these groups, so the results should be used to help you build a kit of lenses to cover your shooting needs. Clearly the best image quality possible comes from the 85mm lenses, though if you don’t shoot portraits, you may well find an 85mm lens surplus to requirements.

In part 3 of this series we’ll be looking at the telephoto lenses as well as the super-zoom models that provide a lot of versatility. The question is, how will they stand up to the rigors of being mounted to the Nikon D800?

Further readings for the Which lenses for your Nikon D800?

To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.

After evaluating the performance characteristics of lenses mounted on full-frame models such as Nikon D800 and D600, as well as the Canon EOS 5D Mk III, we’ve now had the opportunity to analyze a range of lenses on the Sony SLT-A99. In this concise report, we’ll see how well the combination of Sony’s high-end image sensor and the latest Alpha mount lenses perform.

Following on from our series of selecting the best lenses for the Nikon D800 with its potential for massively detailed images from the 36Mpix sensor, we’ve now turned our attention to that camera’s younger sibling, the 24Mpix D600.

First replies for this comment

Re: How about an update to this article?

Hi,You might have noticed that we do not propose updates to our reviews, but all the results can be found for the D800 on our rating page. This is where you will find the current best lenses: http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Ratings

First replies for this comment

Re: D800E

Hello,

Thanks for your message.

The ranking should be close to the current one of the Nikon D800.But the Nikon D800E should score higher on a lot of lens and some lenses could show their own limitation, but for now we cannot tell which one.The D800E lens recommendation is planned too but we will have to assess a maximum of new cameras before perfoming test on the D800E.

Re: D800E

Will the Tamron SP 24-70 f/2.8 for the Nikon D800e be close in scores to the D800? The scores with the D800 body with Tamron SP 24-70 looks to be higher than the Canon 5DM3 with the Tamron SP 24-70. Although, I'm curious also about the Sony A7r with the Tamron SP 24-70 for Sony mount. Any way we can try and test the Tamron SP 24-70 with the D800e and Sony A7r?Thank you!

Re: D800E

Hello,

Very good question,we are currently testing A7 and A7r so the first results should be available within 2 weeks. D800e is now pretty old we will try to do it but the top priorities are the new lenses and the new cameras (and some other old missing lenses).

50mm F1.4 G on D800 and on D700

I see that on the Nikon D700(and on Nikon D3), the best 50mm is the Nikkor 50mm F1.8 G, while on the Nikon D800(and on the Nikon D600) the best 50mm is the Nikkor 50mm F1.4G. What is the reason for these results? Why the 50mm F1.4G, mounted on the Nikon D800, wins against the Nikkor 50mm F1.8G, but not if mounted on the D700 or on the Nikon D3?

Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D ED Macro

Thank you DXO for being a nuetral body and providing qualitative and detail report on primary aspect of Camera peformance. I am planning to upgrade to d800e and wanted to know whether Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D ED Macro is a perfect lense for it? Thank you again.

Sigma 120-300mm conspicuously absent

Whereas the holy trinity lenses rightly garner much attention, there is a significant dichotomy between them and the so-called super-zooms. Sigma, for instance, has a 120-300mm f/2.8 lens that continues to garner largely favorable reviews, yet has been completely marginalized by this site. Most curious indeed!

Older Lenses

I've been surfing for a Nikkor 75-150mm f/3.5 Series E but was wondering if these older lenses work on D800 bodies? What are the drawbacks to using "retro" or retired lenses that were once only used for film? Do they even fit and connect?

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

Hello!Excuse me but I don't understand the scores of Nikon 24-70f2,8 ED. You mention that Sigma "scores a very poor 26µm" in chromatic aberation - what about the 31µm of Nikon 24-70f2,8 ED. How can it have score 28 while the Sigma with with similar or even better numbers scores just 23?

First replies for this comment

Re: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

Hello!

Thanks for your interest in DxOMark.

Chromatic aberration is not taken into account for dxomark score, for more information see our documentation: http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/About/Lens-scoresExcept chromatic aberration, these two lenses have close measurement results. See the full comparison here: http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Compare-Camera-Lenses/Compare-lenses/%28lens1%29/885/%28lens2%29/175/%28brand1%29/Tamron/%28camera1%29/834/%28brand2%29/Nikkor/%28camera2%29/834

Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G & Sigma 50-500 OS / pre-OS

It would be nice to see the results for the new Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G, as it is supposed to be an excellent lens.

Also, I'm sure many people are curious about the results for the Sigma 50-500 (new OS & older pre-OS version). If you really want the reach at an affordable price, it is a lens you'd be interested in.

I am interested in questions like, "is the Sigma 50-500 at 500mm worse than the new Nikkor 80-400 at 400mm with cropping for same FOV?" and "is the Sigma 50-500 at 500mm worse than the Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8G with a 2x teleconverter at '400mm' and cropped for the same FOV?"

Re: Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6G &amp; Sigma 50-500 OS / pre-OS

D800 and ultra wide; no Nikon 14mm f/2.8 D AF ED

<div id="linkdxomark">This a comment for <a href="http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Publications/DxOMark-Reviews/Which-lenses-for-your-Nikon-D800">this page on the website</a></div>

Hi, thank you for running your test. I noticed that you didn't include the 'Nikon 14mm f/2.8 D AF ED Lens' in your test, is there a specific reason for this? I noticed that this lense is also not on nikons revised 'lenses to get the highest res from your d800e' list.

Would it be possible to either include it here or run a separate test of the 'Nikon 14mm f/2.8 D AF ED Lens' and the d800.